72 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 67. 



J7. Meri/iis (iiiirricuiius.—AmeYic-au Merganser. 



Present on the lake, except during and in summer, the middle of 

 severe winters. It is simetimes numerous enough to be called com- 

 mon, but ordinarily less than fifty individuals are recorded along 

 ton miles of lake front. Immature and female plumages outnumber 

 full adult male plumages about five to one. The decided preference 

 of this species for the open waters of the lake has often been noted. 

 There are very few records of its occurrence in the waters of the 

 marshes. It seems to prefer to feed near the shore. 



18. Mergus serratoi: — Red-breasted Merganser. 



This is the coumiouer one of the mergansers during both migra- 

 tions, when hundreds are sometimes recorded in a single day, but it 

 is less sure to remain all winter. It is more often found in the 

 marshes feeding in company with other ducks. My migration rec- 

 ords, which are not as complete as one could wish, indicate that it 

 arrives from the south about the middle of March, passes north 

 about the middle of May, returns from the north about the first of 

 November, and departs southward again during the cold weather of 

 January. 



19. Lophodytes cnciiUafiis — Hooded Merganser. 



Its occurrence in the region warrants the tern "scarce." From one 

 to half a dozen individuals are seen each year, but gunners report it 

 as not unconnuon during the hight of its migrations. My records 

 indicate that it moves northward from the last week in March to 

 about the first of May, and south during nearly the whole of No- 

 vember, but migration dates are too few to make this certain. I 

 have found more individuals along the rivers than in the marshes 

 and on the lake. 



20. .i;/«.s- phitijrliyiichos. — Mallard. 



Mallards reach the marshes at Sandxisky about the first of March, 

 or as soon after that as there is nuich open water ; are common dur- 

 ing the most of March, thinning out decidedly with the approach of 

 warm weather, and all but stragglers are gone by the middle of 

 April. Individuals are occasionally seen in .June and .July, but if 

 any breed there is no other evidence than such irregular occurrence 

 glA-es. The first migrants appear near the first of October, the num- 

 ber.« increase to common during November and most have gone with 

 the first touch of winter. Occasionally a few remain well into Jan- 

 uary in mild winters. While this may properly be called one of the 

 common ducks at Cedar Point it is l»y no means as common as the 

 next sjiecies. It is more often ])ut up from the vegetation covered 

 parts of the marsh than from the open waters of it. On gunning 



